Toilet seat



Dec. 3,1940. F. J. GORE 2,223,526

TOILET SEAT Filed Jan. i2, 1939 '/s /s d N2/Z 2426 /7 Patented Dec. 3,1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOILET SEAT Francis. J. Moore,Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,512

8 Claims.

My present invention has for its object to provide an extremely simpleand highly eicient toilet seat of the divided type in which the sectionsof the seat may be independently raised or lowered and independentlymoved toward or from each other to adjust theseat for an adult or achild.

The improved toilet seat while intended for general use is especiallywell adapted for use by the general public in orlice buildings, hotels,schools, shops, gasoline service stations and the like.

The invention provides toilet seat sections that are ruggedy and eachthereof is made of a relative- 1y narrow piece of material, thelongitudinal edges of which are substantially parallel, and when madefrom wood, the splitting thereof by hard usage will be reduced to aminimum. These narrow seat sections, at their rear end portions, arespaced apart andy said sections are also in forwardly divergingrelation, thus forming an extremely wide vgap between the seat sectionsat their front end portion and thus contributing to the keeping of theseat in a sanitary condition without the constant care of an attendant.

The invention further provides narrow seat sections in forwardlydiverging relation that extend materially outwardly of the toilet bowlto afford leg supports.

This invention still further provides simple and highly efficientmountings for the seatA sections which permit' quick and easy detachmentof said sections from the toilet bowl for the purpose of making repairsor the refinishing of the seat sections. v

The mountings for the seat sections further include means for positivelyholding the seat sections against movements toward or fromv each otherand when adiusted for an adult.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

To the above end, generally stated, the invention consists of the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and definedin the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved toilet seat mounted on a toiletbowl, fragmentarily illustrated, some parts being shown. in differentpositions bymeans of broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the improved toilet seat, some partsbeing broken away and sectioned;

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the fixed hinge bracket, with the anchoringbolts sectioned on the line S--B of Fig. 3l and also showing the headsof said bolts by means of broken lines;

Figs. 5, 6 are fragmentary detail views, with some parts sectioned onthe lines 4 6 and 5-5 of Figs. 3 and 1, respectively;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom planview of the front end portion of oneof the seat sections;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the seat sections on a reduced scale anddiagrammatically illustrated by means of broken lines, and also shown,is a sanitary strip of paper laid thereon; and

Fig. 9 is a detail view in section taken on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

The improved toilet seat is shown mounted on a toilet bowl indicated asan entirety by the numeral I0 and said seat comprises two seat sectionsI'I. Each seat section H is formed of a single piece of wood that isrelatively narrow and the longitudinal edges of which are, as shown,parallel.

By forming each seat section II from a relatively narrow piece of wood,it is possible to have the grain of the wood run longitudinally thereof.Also in shaping a seat section from a relatively narrow piece of woodthere are no extended portions that would be liable to split from themain body ofthe seat section by rough usage.

The seat sections II areattached to the toilet bowl I0 by a fixed hingebracket I2 for both the seat sections II and a movable hinge bracket I3and a hinge rod I4 for each of said seatsections.

As shown, the hinge bracket I2 comprises a iiat base bar I5 having oneach end an upstanding hinge lug I6, and which bar I5 rests directly onthe top of the bowl l0 at the rear thereof. The I hinge bracket I'2` isdetachably secured to the bowl I ll` by a pair of bolts I 'Ithat extendthrough holes in the rim portion of said bowl. On the lower ends of thebolts IT are rubber washers and nuts lilr that anchor the bolts il? tothe bowl lil and hold the hinge bracket I2 securely clamped onto saidbowl. The heads of the bolts Il impinge against the upper face of thebase bar I5 and their squared; upper end portions, iit incorrespondingly formed holesA in said bars.

Each hinge bracket I3 comprises a bar i9 having a, pair of, laterallyspaced.y hinge lugs 2Q. Said hinge bracket I3 is mounted in an under-cutrecess ZI in the rear end portion of the respective seat section II..The bars I9 are SetverticalIy edgewise in the recesses 2| against thevertical faces thereof and are secured by pairs of wood screws 22 to theseat sections II. Each pair of hinge lugs 20 extend rearwardly from therespective bar I9 with one of the hinge lugs I6A therebetween.

A post 23 is detachably secured to the base bar I5, at its longitudinalcenter, by a screw 24. Each hinge rod I4 is in the form of a long bolthaving a hexagon head 25 on its outer end and a screw-threaded outer endportion.

'I'he hinge lugs 20 of each pair are connected to the respective hingelug I6, that extends therebetween, by on'e of the hinge rods I4 whichextends inwardly through aligned holes in said hinge lugs and has screwthreaded attachment at its inner end with the post 23.

Obviously, the seat sections II are freefor independent raising orlowering movementsron the hinge rods I4 and are also free forindependent sliding movement toward or from each other on said hingerods.

'Ihe outermost hinge lugs 20 engage the heads 25 on the hinge rods I4Vas stops, to limitl the separating movement of the seat sections II, asshown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The engagement of the innermost hinge lugs 20 with the post 23 limitsthe movements of the seat sections II toward each other and positionsthe same as shown by Ibroken lines in Fig. 1.

In case it is desirable to positively hold the seat section II separatedas shown, by full lines in Fig. 1, sleeves 26 are removably telescopedonto the hinge rods I4 between the innermost hinge lugs 20 and the post23, see Fig. 6.

The outer corner portion of each seat section II, at its free endportion, is recessed on its under face to afford a finger-hold 2'I foruse when lifting the respective seat section II. As the finger-holds 21are entirely outwardly of `the bowl I0 any water splashed on the undersurfaces of the seat sections II will drip therefrom and not come incontact with the raised surfaces of said finger-holds, see Fig. 7. Hencethese nger holds always present a clean surface by which the respectiveseat section may bev raised.

The post 23, acting as a stop, prevents the seat sections II from cominginto contact with each other and always keeps the same spaced apart forsanitary reasons. Said seat sections II are held by the hinge bracketsI2 and I3 and the hinge rods I4 in forwardly diverging relation so thatthere is always a wide gap between the free end portions thereof.

It is important to note that the seat sections II', at their free endportions, extend .materially forwardly of the bowl thereby affordingVleg supports.

To remove one of the seat sectionsv I I from the bowl IIJ it is onlynecessary to unscrew the respective hinge rod I4 from the post 23 andwithdraw the same from the respective hinge lugs I6 and 20. By makingthe bolts I1 separable from the hinge bracket I3 it is possible to diecast said bracket instead of casting the same as is now necessary whenthe bolts are integral with the hinge bracket.

The narrow seat sections II lend themselves to the covering thereof withsanitary strips of paper X, see Figs. 8 and 9. Preferably but notnecessarily the outer edge portions of the paper strips X are folded asshown in Fig. 9, to afford a retaining flange Y.

The `drawing illustrates a commercial form of the invention, but it willbe understood that the same is capable of certain modifications as todetails of construction, arrangement and combination of parts within thescope of the invention herein disclosed. l

What I claim is:

1. A dividedv toilet seat, hinge means connecting the seat sections to atoilet bowl for independent raising or lowering movements and forindependent .movements toward or from each other, said hinge meanscomprisinga fixed hinge bracket having means for anchoring the same tosaid bowl, a post mounted centrally on the hinge bracket, a pair ofhinge rods secured at one of their ends to the post and projectingtherefrom in opposite directions, supporting means on the hinge'bracketengaging the hinge rods intertermediate their lengths and a movablehinge bracket on each seat section and mounted on onek ofthe hinge rodsfor pivotal movement and also axial sliding movement. 2. The structuredefined in claim 1 in'vwhich the hinge rods are each removably securedto the post. Q

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in whichI the post affords a stop tolimit the axial sliding movements of the movable hinge brackets on thehinge rod toward each other, said hinge rods having on their Youter endsmeans for limiting the axial sliding movement of the movable hingebrackets away from each other. Y l

4. The structure'dened in claimll which further includes a pair Vofsleeves removably telescoped onto the hinge rods betweenV the post andthe movable hinge brackets for iholding the movable hinge bracketsagainst axial sliding movement. y p

5. A divided toilet seat, hinge meansV connecting the seat sections tova' toilet bowl for independent raising or lowering movements and forindependent movements toward or from each other, said hinge meanscomprising a xed hinge bracket including a bar having atr each end anupstanding bearing lug, `'nut-equipped bolts extendingthrough aperturesin said barfor anchoring the fixed hinge bracket to said bowl,

a post on said bar, a pair of hinge rods having screw-threadedengagement at one of their ends with the post and projecting therefrominopposite directions, each of the hinge rodsbeng mounted at itsintermediate portion` in one of the bearing lugs, and a movable' hingebracket on each seat section having a pair of laterally spaced hingelugs mounted on one of the hinge rods for pivotal and axial slidingmovements and with the respective bearing lug extending there` betweensaid hinge lugs being widely spaced than the axial length of the bearinglugs. Y

6. A divided toilet seat comprising seat sections mounted forindependent turning movements and independent axial sliding movements,`

a transverse recess in the undersurface of each seat section at therear'end thereof, a `pairfof spaced metal wing lmembers mounted` withineach recess, said wing members having aligned bores, a hinge rodengaging said bores whereby' thel seat sections may be freely adjustedpivotallir and axially of the hinge rod, anchoring supporting lugsreceived in said recesses Land engaging the hinge rod intermediatev eachpair of spaced wing'members, said lugs being of Vless axial length thanthe distance between the vwing members, whereby the lugs by coactionwith the wing members provide stop means for axial sliding movements ofthe seat sections.

7. A divided toilet seat comprising seat sections mounted forindependent turning movements and independent axial sliding movements, atransverse recess in the undersurface of each seat section at the rearend thereof, a metal base member carrying spaced wing members mountedwithin each recess, said Wing members having aligned bores, a hinge rodengaging said bores whereby the seat sections may be freely adjustedpivotally and axially of the hinge rod, anchoring supporting lugsreceived in said recesses and engaging the hinge rod intermediate eachpair of spaced Wing members; said lugs being of less axial length thanthe distance between the Wing members, whereby the lugs by coaction withthe wing members provide stop means :for axial sliding movements of theseat sections.

8. A divided toilet seat comprising seat sections mounted forindependent turning movements and independent axial sliding movements, ametal base member mounted on each seat section and carrying a pair ofspaced journal members, said journal members having aligned bores, ahinge rod engaging said bores whereby the seat sections may be freelyadjusted pivotally and axially of the hinge rod, anchoring supportinglugs engaging the hinge rod intermediate each pair of spaced journalmembers, said lugs being of less axial length than the distance betweenthe journal members, whereby the lugs by coaction with the journalmembers provide stop means for axial sliding movements of the seatsections.

FRANCIS J. MOORE.

